AGARTALA, July 8 (TIWN): Despite of Tripura High Court’s strict order to stop the illegal eviction of hawkers in the capital city of Tripura, Agartala Municipal Corporation continues to wreck their only livelihood, alleged the city vendors.

Hearing the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by four evicted hawkers, on June 15 last, Tripura High Court said that no street vendors or hawkers can be evicted without bringing them under the coverage of survey which was supposed to be carried on by the state government after every five years as per the act.

Allegation has been raised by the hawkers that after the court’s order the AMC continues to evict the hawkers from the footpath.

It is also alleged that the reasons cited by the corporation cannot be accepted. It is attempting to dislodge the vendors without following established practices.

Besides, they said that it is their livelihood issue and the authorities have not approached the issue from a livelihood angle.

The vendors also alleged that many of them had been earning insufficient amount of money by selling small articles on some of the busy roads and the illegal action taken by the corporation brought a huge loss to the only small earnings.

However, it is also been alleged that the authorities, instead of safeguarding their livelihood opportunities, were trying to remove the hawkers whose livelihoods depend on small roadside business. The Corporation, which was supposed to form vending committee, failed to progress yet.

According to the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, the Town Vending Committee within such period and in such manner as may be specified in the scheme, conduct a survey of all existing street vendors, within the area under its jurisdiction, and subsequent survey shall be carried out at least once in every five years.

Besides, No street vendor shall be evicted or, as the case may be, relocated till the survey specified under sub-section (1) has been completed and the certificate of vending is issued to all street vendors.

According to Section 12 of the Act every street vendor shall have the right to carry on the business of street vending activities in accordance with the terms and conditions mentioned in the certificate of vending.